A Working Mom's Nightmare

A Working Mom's Nightmare

Did you struggle with telling an employer you were pregnant, nervous that you would be penalized in some way? The story of newly pregnant Amy Zvovushe, 31, shows that women still face discrimination in the workplace related to pregnancy. In Amy's case, sharing her good news with her employer resulted in a request that she resign.

Even though Federal and state laws ban discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace, Zvovushe was told in no uncertain terms by someone in her company's Human Resources department that maternity leave was not in the cards for her. Amazingly, this savvy mom had the presence of mind to record the conversation, and she was able to use the recording as leverage to secure both her job and her maternity leave.

Now, activists in New York and Ohio are fighting legal battles to obtain better protections and promises for pregnant women around the country.

Five years ago I work for a local ff place from dec to June when I was six months pregnant. I hardly ever missed a shift and was walking over two miles one way to and from. I missed one meeting and reported my absences the night before because I was out of town and my ride got drunk. Needless to say they fired me two days later when I walked the two miles to work. Not to mention that a few weeks earlier my manger made a comment on he would have to let me go if I couldn't do my job right. I haD trouble reaching the steamer so I had to pull it forward on the counter and I had trouble reaching things under the counter. I wish I knew know about the law then. My recent job however was very considered when I was pregnant. They made sure I was comfortable and safe let me take ml at 38 weeks and when their private disability tried denying me pay because I hadn't worked enough, they fought for me. I got paid for 8 weeks and had a job to go to that works with my limited schedule with my two kids

I was laid off while 6 months pregnant after working for a company for over 10 years (when I never had a single write-up or issue). They told me that I should apply for jobs and companys can't descriminate in the hiring process. But of course I knew I wouldn't have protection for FMLA for any new job I would get. It is sad that pregnant women are treated this way.

I was discriminated against years ago. My son was in daycare at the time and he was constantly getting sick. He now has to have a completely different diet including going gluten and dairy free and is on an inhaler daily- all this just to lessen the effects each new sickness has on him. Anyway I was written up twice due to having to be home sick with him. At the time my back-up babysitters couldn't help me and you all know daycare won't take your kids depending on the sickness and symptoms. Long story short- after working for them for a year and a half they cut my hours from full-time to one day a month or less. This made paying for daycare impossible and the one day they would call me in they would never give enough notice and I couldn't pull a back-up babysitter out of my a**. I was basically forced to resign and become a stay at home mom. Now I'm a single parent (wasn't then) and still have issues with keeping a job. I got a great job and in the first 3 weeks my son had the flu (which I then got), then I had to take him to the ER for bronchitis, and finally I got food poisoning. So they saw me as being totally unreliable and let me go. Now my son has been sickness free for over a month and by the time I get another good job my bet is sickness will strike again. It is soooooo hard!!

Something similar happened to me too. As soon as I told them I was pregnant, the found an excuse to terminate me. Before that, I was doing everything great and noone had any problems with my work. I didn't feel it was a mere cooincidence at all. But, I could not prove my pregnancy was the reason I was terminated.

A similar thing also happened to me. I worked for a hotel, and had a baby with a lot of complications. While on medical leave they let me go. After the birth of my baby I returned to work after 4 weeks, full time, because they needed my help. Shortly there after I found out I was pregnant again. I went from full time to a couple days a week after I informed them of my pregnancy. They without my knowledge hired me in at part time..so legally they were able to do this. As my pregnancy was nearing the end, they dwindled my hours to a mere four hours a week. Until they stopped scheduling me altogether. I tried to hire legal help, but since I had no evidence to support my claims I wasn't able to pursue action. I am glad someone can find justice and will help set higher standards for employers everywhere. This is unfair, and horrific to know that our society has such low opinions of a working mother!

A similar thing happened to me. My job decided to start writing me up at every chance, so that they would have a case against me. This included writing me up for being 1 minute late, when there would be instances where I needed to use the bathroom before work because I was pregnant and I knew I wouldn't get a break for a while because there was no other staff. Plus they wouldn't accommodate me by giving me a high stool (or letting me bring one) to sit at the front desk when I had a doctor's note saying I had sciatica and I needed to sit. The excuse was that its not in the job description. I would be in pain and my legs would sometimes give out on me. When I did get a chance to sit down, I was told that other employees were complaining that I wasn't working and I would get written up for that. By the time I said I'm not signing another write up, they had a case against me and even if I wanted to sue them I couldn't.

I really can't stand companies like this... I just don't understand them as a business owner well all have a life out side of work and we should not be held liable for it. Unless are intense is to harm others then that is a different story!